UPDATE to theAlaska Strategic Plan for

Eliminating Tobacco-Related Disparities

Prepared for: State of Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control Program

LEAD is a Statewide workgroup that represents and advocates for disparate populations in partnership with the Alaska Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA) and the State of Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control Program (TPC).

LEAD

Leadership for Eliminating Alaskan Disparities

• About LEAD

• The Planning Process

• Health Disparities + Data

• Goals + Strategies

• Taking Action

In This Presentation

Prepared for the Leadership for Eliminating Alaskan Disparities (LEAD) Workgroup and the State of Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control Program by Agnew::Beck Consulting

• Addresses tobacco-related disparities in Alaskan populations

• Developed the Alaska Strategic Plan for Eliminating

Tobacco-Related Disparities in 2007

• In 2010, the Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control (TPC) Program reconvened a LEAD strategic planning team

• Planning Team built on the work of the original plan, focusing on the development of detailed strategies and action steps to move the LEAD workgroup to implementation.

ABOUT LEAD Leadership for Eliminating Alaskan

Disparities

Equal opportunity for good health, freedom from tobacco use and its consequences, and improved quality of life.

Vision of LEAD Workgroup

Use and institutionalize the strategic plan as a framework to identify actions that will positively impact disparate groups.

Mission of LEAD Workgroup

Values of LEAD Workgroup

• Tobacco-free • Health Equity• Cultural

Humility• Social Justice• Leadership• Education

• Scientifically-driven

• Accountable• Grassroots• Action-oriented• Collaborative-

spirit• Strategic

PLAN PROCESS

• Taking Stock Assessment was foundation of approach

Extensive interview process included previous LEAD workgroup members, national experts, program staff, and partners

Identified need for action-oriented, representative approach

• Built on statewide, ongoing efforts, such as…

• A broadly representative Planning Team and Executive Committee were formed to advise, review and endorse plan

Strategic Planning Approach

• #1 Be representative.Members of disparately affected groups must be part of the planning team and assist with implementation.

• #2 Be action-oriented and efficient.Preemptively address “planning fatigue” by developing clear, time-framed, concrete steps for taking action.

• #3 Identify target populations and focus for implementation.Focused efforts and clearly defined strategies must be a key outcome of the process.

• #4 Use data to drive planning efforts.Include measures for accountability in the revised plan.

Guiding Principles

Strategic Plan Participants

• Be representative.Members of disparately affected groups must be part of the planning team and assist with implementation.

• The planning team consists of:• Organizations primarily representing Alaska Native people and

low socioeconomic status target populations

• Organizations representing young adults

• Behavioral health community

• Head Start and early childhood programs for low income Alaskans

• evaluation and data specialists

• Staff from the Tobacco Prevention and Control Program and the Section of Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

Guiding Principle #1

Strategic Plan Process

DISPARITIES + DATA

Health disparities are differences in the

incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of

diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific population groups in the

United States.

– National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Defining Health Disparities

Defining Disparities

Factors Contributing to Tobacco-Related Health Disparities

• Tobacco Company Targeting

• Culture

• Work Environment

• Access to Treatment

• Type of Tobacco

• Prevalence the rate of tobacco use Example: young adults aged 18-29 smoke at higher rates compared to the general population

• Morbidity/Mortalityillness and death from tobacco use Example: Alaska Natives have higher rates of cancer

• Increased Vulnerabilitypopulations that are particularly impacted by smoking Example: pregnant women have increased vulnerability

Factors Used to Identify Priority Populations

• Identify target populations and focus for implementation.

• Use data to drive planning efforts.

• Plan used data to determine focus on 3 populations in Alaska which are known to have the highest tobacco use prevalence rates:

• Alaska Native adults,

• Adults of low socioeconomic status (Low SES), and

• Young adults aged 18-29.

Guiding Principle #3 and #4

Data Illustrates Need

Disparities in Adult Smoking, 2008

Source: Alaska Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (AK BRFSS)

55 and older

30-54

Age 18-29

Females

Males

Higher SES (non-Native)

Low SES (non-Native)

Non-Native

Alaska Native

All Adults

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

14%

22%

30%

20%

24%

15%

35%

19%

43%

22%

Data Illustrates Need

Disparities in Adult Smokeless Use, AK BRFSS 2008

55 and older

30-54

Age 18-29

Females

Males

Higher SES (non-Native)

Low SES (non-Native)

Non-Native

Alaska Native

All Adults

0% 5% 10% 15% 20%

2%

6%

6%

1%

9%

5%

3%

4%

12%

5%

Data Illustrates NeedDisparities in Youth Smokeless Use, AK YRBS 2009

Boys Girls0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

22%

17%

14%

3%

14%

4%

Alaska Native White Other Races

Data Illustrates NeedHigh School Smoking Prevalence by Race and Year 1995-2009 Source: Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Alaska Native White Other Race Groups0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

62%

34%

24%

44%

12% 12%

32%

14%

7%

25%

14%10%

1995 2003 2007 2009

GOALS + STRATEGIES

Working at the population level – the “changing the context” level – affords the greatest impact for the least cost.

Intervention Pyramid

Graphic adapted from US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) by Agnew::Beck

• The plan is designed to compliment and strengthen existing efforts.

• Organized around the goals of the Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control (TPC) Program and the statewide Alaska Tobacco Control Alliance (ATCA).

Alignment with Existing Efforts

LEAD Plan Goals

GOAL 1: Prevent initiation of tobacco use among young people.

GOAL 2: Promote cessation of tobacco use among youth and adults.

GOAL 3: Protect the public from exposure to secondhand smoke.

GOAL 4: Identify and eliminate tobacco-related disparities.

Strategic planning entailed:• Build from 4 goals.

• Create “on the ground” strategies for each goal.

• Prioritize strategies.

• Refine and rank strategies.

• Develop detailed action plans for top priority strategies.

How Goals, Strategies + Actions Fit Together

GOAL

Strategy

Action

• In addition to “On the Ground” strategies• Broad-based, management-level strategies• Based on 2007 LEAD Strategic Plan• Implemented by:• State agencies• Tribal health networks• Advocacy groups

High Level Strategies

High Level Strategies

• Expand Partnerships• Targeted Media + Outreach•Data, Evaluation + Best Practices• Policy• Funding + Capacity Building

On the Ground Strategies• Goal 1 (Youth Prevention) Increase the number of

leaders in the Alaska Native community that support, role model, and promote tobacco-free and smokefree lifestyles, primarily by implementing tobacco-free policies at events with an extensive participation of Alaska Native people.

• Goal 2 (Cessation) Work with community health centers and other health professionals who serve low-income patients to institute “Ask – Advise – Refer” for tobacco use at every visit.

• Goal 3 (Smokefree Air) Expand comprehensive tobacco-free campus policies among colleges, community colleges and vocational schools campuses.

• Goal 4 (Identify Disparities) Change policies for state-funded substance abuse and behavioral health providers and correctional facilities to:

• Make tobacco cessation treatment a reimbursable service

• Implement comprehensive tobacco-free policies.

TAKING ACTION

• Be action-oriented and efficient.

• Action plans were created for the top strategy under each goal and include clear, time-framed, concrete steps for taking action

• Each action plan includes: Action Item, Who’s Responsible, By When, Cost + Available Resources, Progress Measures, Collaborators + Key Contacts

Guiding Principle #2: Taking Action

GOAL

Top StrategyAction Plan

Sample Action Plan

Goal 1: Prevent initiation of tobacco use among young people.Priority Population: Alaska Native People

Priority Strategy:Increase the number of leaders in the Alaska Native community that support, role model, and promote tobacco-free and smokefree lifestyles, primarily by implementing comprehensive tobacco-free policies at events where there is a large participation of Alaska Natives.

Taking Action

1. Identify target events and dates, e.g. Elders & Youth Conference at Alaska Federation of Natives Convention, Southeast Alaska Grand Camp, Indian Education Conference, Rural Providers Conference, NYLC.

2. Get on the agendas of identified/targeted events.

3. Determine which messages resonate with the population we’re trying to reach – Alaska Native leadership.

4. Develop materials for presenters that share the following: rationale for implementing tobacco-free policies, importance of role modeling tobacco-free and smoke free lifestyles, disparities data and goals of the LEAD workgroup.

5. Work with event organizers, leadership & youth to draft written tobacco-free campus policies.

6. Assist event organizers, leadership & youth in passing and enforcing comprehensive tobacco- free campus policies.

Goal 1: Action Steps

Goal 2: Promote cessation of tobacco use among youth and adults.Priority Population: People of Low Socioeconomic Status (SES)

Priority Strategy:Work with Community Health Centers and other health professionals who serve low-income individuals to institute Ask, Advise, Refer (AAR) for tobacco use at every visit. Track and increase the rate of health care provider advice and referral for intensive tobacco cessation counseling.

Taking Action

1. Establish LEAD subgroup.

2. Engage the Alaska Primary Care Association. Inventory CHCs and other health professionals who serve low-income individuals outside of the tribal health network.

3. Determine mechanism for identifying which CHCs to target in year one outside of tribal health.

4. Inventory electronic health record (EHR)/AAR capacity.

5. Investigate successful models (KANA) to replicate/adapt.

6. Advocate – meet with CHC leaders/Alaska Primary Care Association.

7. Expand online training (akbriefintervention.org) for providers, i.e. CHC specific, dental & behavioral health.

Goal 2: Action Steps

Goal 3: Protect the public from exposure to secondhand smoke.Priority Population: Young adults aged 18-29

Priority Strategy:Implement, enforce, and expand comprehensive tobacco-free campus policies among colleges, community colleges, and vocational school campuses.

Taking Action

1. Establish a LEAD subgroup.

2. Identify/Inventory vocational schools in Alaska.

3. Inventory tobacco free campus policies at identified schools.

4. Determine which schools to target in year one and which might have assistance from a community grantee or a student/staff champion.

5. Supply educational services and cessation services (or materials).

6. Assist school leadership in developing and enforcing tobacco free campus policies.

Goal 3: Action Steps

Goal 4: Identify tobacco-related disparities.Priority Population: People in behavioral health, substance abuse and correctional programs and institutions

Priority Strategy:Integrate language into State Division of Behavioral Health regulations to:• Allow tobacco cessation treatment to be a

reimbursable service for substance abuse and behavioral health providers and

• Require that state funded substance abuse and behavioral health facilities and correctional facility programs implement and enforce comprehensive tobacco-free campus policies

Taking Action

1. Propose action plan to existing LEAD Nicotine Addiction in Behavioral Health (NABH) subgroup.

2. Meet with DBH leaders to get buy-in.

3. Adoption of curriculum into counselor certification (Alaska Commission on Behavioral Health Certification Board + CDC).

4. Develop curriculum dissemination plan – Present at the Annual School on Addictions Conference.

5. Inventory reimbursement + current smokefree policies of state funded facilities.

6. Determine mechanism for identifying which state funded substance abuse/behavioral health facilities to target in year one.

7. Investigate successful models (Rainforest Recovery) to replicate/adapt.

Goal 4: Action Steps

Collaboration

The LEAD workgroup and the TPC Disparities Coordinator will assist with and track implementation

• Encourage TPC grantees to implement LEAD strategies in their own communities.

• Create and maintain LEAD sub groups.

Implementation

• Promote and educate stakeholders about LEAD strategies. • Monitor action plan progress.• Collaborate with existing local and regional coalitions to

implement LEAD strategies and ailor strategies for different regions of Alaska.

• Work with chronic disease programs that share LEAD’s priority populations.

• Work closely with the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC), regional health corporations, ANHB, and ANTAG implement LEAD’s systems-change approaches.

Executive Committee Brandon Biddle, Alaska Native Health Board Dr. Gary Ferguson, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

and Alaska Native Tobacco Advisory Group Emily Nenon, American Cancer Society Cancer Action

Network Andrea Fenaughty, PhD, State of Alaska Section of Chronic

Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Planning Team Pearl Brower, Ilisagvik College Joie Brown, RurAL CAP Dana Diehl, Alaska Tobacco Prevention & Control Program Erin Edin, Kids’ Corps Inc. Bette Fenn, University of Alaska Anchorage Student Health

Clinic Gabriel Garcia, PhD, University of Alaska Anchorage

Department of Health Sciences Kelly Keyes, RN, Norton Sound Health Corporation LaRita Laktonen, Southcentral Foundation and Cook Inlet

Native Head Start Connie Markis, Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center,

Healthcare for the Homeless Ella Morris, RurAL CAP Laura Muller, American Lung Association-Alaska Caroline Nevak, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, Inc. Danya Olson, Galena Clinic Michael Powell, State of Alaska Division of Behavioral

Health Andrea Thomas, Southeast Alaska Regional Health

Consortium

State of Alaska Tobacco Prevention and Control Program Staff Matthew Bobo Dana Diehl Jessica Harvill Alexandria Modigh-Hicks Lauren Kelsey Alison Kulas Erin Peterson Joanne Zito-Brause

Acknowledgements

Thank You for Assisting this Effort!

For a copy of this Presentation or to participate in the LEAD effort, please contact:

Dana Diehl, Disparities Coordinatordana.diehl@alaska.gov907-334-2226